Medieval Literature: Epics, Troubadours, and Dante
Nibelungen Legend
The Nibelungenlied is an epic poem from Germanic mythological traditions. It includes very old songs written between the 8th and 13th centuries in Iceland, Greenland, and Norway. The main themes revolve around Siegfried. The Nibelungenlied was written by a legendary Austrian gentleman between 1200 and 1205. It attempts to give unity and homogeneity for the court. It is characterized by simplicity of style, fine art, and religion, but with formal perfection unlike others. Siegfried
Read MoreFemale Empowerment in Restoration and 18th-Century Literature
The aim of this essay is to analyze eighteenth-century literary works in which a certain feminine empowerment can be appreciated, and which, therefore, contributed to a social discussion about the figure and role of women in society.
The Role of Women in the 18th Century
First of all, it is important to take into account the predominant role attributed to women in the 18th century. At that time, women were subjected to numerous social rules and constraints that were intended to direct their behavior
Read MoreThe Novel’s Evolution in the 17th and 18th Centuries
This essay aims to develop the evolution of the novel throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The term “novel” itself means something new and original that has never been seen, used, or even thought of before. This is the reason why book-length works of fiction were designated by the name “novel.” They were innovative as they presented a more familiar nature and represented the readers’ intrigues in practice, delighting them with accidents and odd events, which were not unusual but
Read MoreThe Generation of ’98: A Literary and Philosophical Movement
The Generation of ’98 takes its name from the year of the loss of Spain’s last overseas colonies. It is a purely Spanish movement formed by a group of young writers who sought to renovate the aesthetics of earlier literature (Realism) and regenerate the country’s socio-cultural landscape. The colonial disaster brought awareness of poverty, misery, social injustice, economic and political apathy, etc. With it came the need for a change in the structure of power since the Restoration (the current
Read MoreThematic Elements in Spanish Literature: Bécquer, Count Lucanor, and Galdós
Thematic Elements in Bécquer’s Legends
- In Bécquer’s legends, several themes of Romanticism are present: tragic or impossible love, truncated by society or circumstances, the search for an unattainable ideal, diabolical wickedness, and rebellion.
- Other themes reflect the nature and sensitivity of the author and his perception of reality: music as a sublime art form, intuition, and religious faith.
- Love and Women
- Sentimentality
- Fantasy versus Reality
- History and Geography
- Good and Evil
- Afterlife
- Nature
- Art
- Objects
Thematic
Read MoreRomanticism in Spain: 1835-1850 and Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Romanticism in Spain: 1835-1850
Romanticism is a movement that extends to all cultural facets of life. There is an identification between literature and the moment of political difficulties as seen in Spain. The Romantics rebel against the established order, especially the bourgeoisie. Materialism, which in that era had much power.
Two Attitudes
- Traditional: Writers who are a vindication of the past values, the medieval style, Christianity, and the monarchy.
- Liberal: Supporters of the democratic idea.